Parliament allowed HACC judges to hear cases on the civil confiscation of unjustified assets and the application of sanctions sitting alone. UNN reports this, citing the Verkhovna Rada and the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).
Details
On Wednesday, November 11, the Verkhovna Rada supported at first reading Draft Law No. 16043, "On Amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine and the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine Concerning Improvements to the Procedure for Hearing Cases by the High Anti-Corruption Court." The decision was supported by 250 members of parliament.
The document provides for a transition from mandatory panel hearings to hearings by a single judge in certain categories of cases at the HACC. In particular, these include cases concerning the recognition of assets as unjustified and their recovery for the benefit of the state. Currently, such proceedings are heard by a panel of three judges. After the law is adopted, they may be heard by one judge.
At the same time, certain categories of defendants, including high-ranking officials, will retain the option of requesting a panel hearing. The court will be required to notify the defendant of this right in the ruling opening the proceedings. The relevant motion will have to be filed before the case is scheduled for consideration on the merits. If this procedural deadline is missed, the motion will be left without consideration.
In addition, the draft law proposes abolishing mandatory panel hearings in administrative cases concerning the application of sanctions in the form of the recovery of assets for the benefit of the state. Such cases may also be heard by a single HACC judge.
Why the changes are being proposed
The NACP explains the need for the reform by the increased workload on HACC judges and the need to expedite the consideration of cases. According to the agency, in the first half of 2026, the average duration of proceedings concerning civil confiscation was 118 days, while sanctions cases took 49 days. The transition to hearings by a single judge is expected to enable a more efficient distribution of the workload among judges and free up resources for the consideration of criminal proceedings.
The NACP also emphasized that the adoption of the draft law is linked to Ukraine's fulfillment of its commitments under the Ukraine Facility program. According to the agency, the implementation of the relevant changes could help secure €124 million in funding from the European Union. The legislative changes also correspond to the measures set out in the Rule of Law Roadmap במסגרת the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Context
Draft Law No. 16043 was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on September 4, 2026. It was drafted by the NACP, while the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine acted as the subject of the legislative initiative.
On September 30, the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy recommended adopting the document as a basis.
At present, the draft law has been supported only at first reading. To enter into force, it must pass the second reading, be adopted as a whole, be signed by the President of Ukraine, and be officially promulgated.
Reminder
Back in October 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine did not include the draft law on amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine and the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine concerning improvements to the procedure for hearing cases by the High Anti-Corruption Court.